Always In This Twilight
by The Accident-Prone Klutz
Summary: She loves him. She needs him. And the fact that everything she feels is reciprocated, makes her feel weightless. They need each other. It's all they have. "I cherish you, Sora." S/N. AU. R/N.


**I know I should be updating my other stories but I couldn't help it. This idea has been swimming around my head for a while now. I couldn't resist, especially after hearing Florence + The Machine all day. It needed to happen.**

**Pairing: **Sora/Namine

**Rating:** T-ish?

**Enjoy**

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_Then I heard your heart beating, you were in the darkness too_

_So I stayed in the darkness with you_

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Naminé sits carefully on the lunch table furthest from the courtyard. She drops her weathered brown paper bag on the table, pulling out the sandwich her mother packed. Her lips fall into a slight frown at the lumpy sandwich – her stomach does a flop at the sight.

"You gonna eat that?" A cheery voice brings her from her revulsion. Naminé's breath immediately catches when she turns to find the source of the voice. A boy with a mop of chocolate brown locks, and a perfectly golden face smiles down at her. His perfectly, straight and white teeth flash, and the girl is almost positive that she's going to faint. He takes a seat directly across from her, reaching for the sandwich.

"It's PB and J, Sora." Naminé quickly warns, before the boy can touch it. His face wrinkles in disgust, and he crosses his arms over his chest.

"Can't you tell your mom to make, like, I dunno, a regular sandwich for once?" He complains. The blonde girl shrugs her shoulders. "So what's on the agenda today?"

"I was thinking of taking a trip to the beach." Naminé says casually, reaching into her bag and pulling out her sketchbook. "What do you think of that?"

She sees it coming – the bright, megawatt smile that forms on the boy's face. She knew how much Sora loved the beach. He practically lived there. After all, it's where she first met him. Her fingers reach for the pencil lying next to her sandwich. Before she realizes it, her hand is already gliding against the blank sheet of paper.

"Will I get to see you in that new bikini?" He questions eagerly. The tip of the pencil breaks, as she regards Sora with something akin to shock and anger. Her face instantly falls and boils in less than a second. Her hand tightens around the pencil, before she chucks it at the boy. He swiftly dodges it, chuckling. "There's a reason you're not a softball player, _Lee_."

She felt herself soften at the nickname. It's nowhere near relevant to Naminé. But it's _Lee_, short for Leonardo, as in _Leonardo Da Vinci_. Because, she is an aspiring artist after all, or she'd like to think that.

"But really, are you wearing a bikini?" Sora asks.

"Ugh."

"I'll take that as a petulant no?"

"You're incorrigible, Sora Strife!" She huffs, snapping her book shut. He smirks, moving his crossed arms to the back of his head.

"Eh? What's that mean again?"

Naminé opens her mouth to retort, but something makes the words die in her throat. A few yards away, someone is watching her. It's not just any someone. The blonde feels her body stiffen, as the redheaded girl stares at her with this unrelenting, pitiful gaze. It sets her body on fire. Sometimes she feels like marching right up to her and demanding what her problem was.

"When are you guys going to get over your little girlie spat and be friends again?" Sora's voice pulls her away from the intense stare-down. Naminé shakes her head; her gaze still flits back to the redhead. One of her friends, whispers into her ear and then her friends give Naminé an angry look.

"I did nothing wrong. I don't even remember exactly _what_ we're fighting about." Naminé admits, although she has some semblance to why the problems started. But she would never tell Sora that he's one of the contributing factors.

"I doubt Kairi had done anything wrong either." Sora offers. "Probably just some misunderstanding, right _sweet cheeks_?"

"Would you please refrain from giving me such derogatory nicknames?" The blonde deadpans, shooting the boy a withering glare. Sora sticks his tongue out.

"I am offended. Derogatory? Please, I know what that means. I looked it up." He pretends to be hurt and Naminé can't help but lift her lips into a small smile.

"How do you spell it?" She challenges.

"D-E-E-"

"-Just stop, you're embarrassing yourself." Naminé cuts off, earning a pout from Sora.

The lunch bell rings, before he can get a word in. He lets out a defeated sigh, rising from his seat as Naminé reciprocates.

"I'll see you after school." He says, leaning down to peck her cheek.

She walks to class with the small smile still glued to her face. However, the smile is short-lived because as soon as she reaches the hallways, the whispering has already started. She isn't even in the hallway for more than a few seconds and she already notices people staring at her and whispering to each other. It doesn't faze her anymore. It happens every day, so she should be used to it.

Ever since Sora, the most adored, popular guy declared his love for one of his best friends, the most teased and picked-on loser, Naminé, the whole school's social hierarchy had become imbalanced. And when they started dating, Sora was thrown to the bottom with Naminé. Everyone had turned against them, even her best friend Kairi who also happened to be Sora's friend too. It just made everything worse.

Naminé frowns so wrapped up in her thoughts that she nearly walks in to one of the gossipers.

"Don't touch me, freak!" The girl practically squeals, jumping back to lean against the lockers. It doesn't bother Naminé much, but it confuses her because the girl sounds _scared_.

"Come on, Selphie, just ignore her." The girl beside her ushers _Selphie_ away from the blonde.

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After school, Naminé relays the event to her boyfriend. Sora has an unusually dark expression painted on his face. He doesn't talk much as he walks her home. But when they finally reach her doorstep, he turns to face her abruptly.

"Don't you ever listen to them, Lee." Sora says harshly. "They don't understand. They don't understand what we have."

The blonde looks away, finding the wooden floorboard easier to look at than his smoldering gaze.

"Do you get that Naminé?" Sora puts his hands on her shoulders. It sends an uncanny shock-wave running throughout her body. She wants more. She wants him to hold her. For some weird reason, she desperately needs to feel his touch. "I _love_ you."

"I love you, too." She repeats. It comes out so easy and so necessary, like in taking oxygen.

"We're – we're _limitless_, Naminé. They don't get it. They'll never understand. Don't let them make you think otherwise. Don't let them get to you."

Before she can say anything, he leans down and captures her lips in a fierce kiss. It's all too sudden, and painfully fervid. Her chest aches wonderfully, as she clutches on to the collar of his shirt, pulling him closer. His lips are cool against hers, as she moves over them. It doesn't make any sense. It makes no sense at all. This change of demeanor. A part of her wants to pull away, and question him. Where did all this seriousness come from? She's been called worse before, so what gives? However, a larger part wants to keep him close.

His kisses are magickal. Yeah, with a _K_. An unbearable tingle pools around her belly, and it urges her to wrap her arms around him. But he quickly stops her.

"Wait." He breathes out, against her lips. And then the front door opens, revealing her mother. Naminé hurriedly pulls away from the boy, settling for clutching onto his arm tightly. Her mother regards the blonde with a worried expression.

"You're late." She says softly. Naminé bows her head glancing up through her lashes, inching closer to the boy, who's holding onto her hand gently. Her mother's eyes soften, and something flickers between them. Naminé can't quite put her finger on the emotion, but she's pretty sure she's seen it on other people's faces. It's that kind of expression people get before they start crying. She gulps thickly, before moving out of the doorway. "You should come inside. It looks chilly outside and you're shivering."

An unsettling feeling runs through the blonde's frame, as she watches her mother look away. Naminé glances at Sora, who lets go of her hand with a sheepish smile. Her mother ignores the boy completely. It's kind of to be expected though, her mother held a strong disliking for Sora after they started dating.

"I'll see you later, Lee." He whispers into her ear, planting a soft kiss in her hair. She watches him walk down the steps and down the street.

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Naminé is slightly upset with her mother after her behavior and the fact that her planned beach trip would be cancelled. She refuses to eat the dinner when it's prepared, opting to fume silently in her room. She locks it for good measure, ignoring the constant knocking.

"Hey." It's Sora. Under normal circumstances, she would have shrieked and threw something at the open window, but now it's become a ritual. Sora would come visit her almost every night, carefully climbing through her window. "So I'm guessing no beach right?"

He laughs, lifting his legs over the ledge. As soon as he is safely in her room, he holds out his arms welcomingly. Naminé can't resist the smile tugging at her lips, as she slowly walks into them.

"Man, and I really wanted to see that bikini." He laughs, pulling her closer to him. The blonde buries her face against his shirt, inhaling the smell. A mixture of the crisp salty sea air, and suntan lotion hits her nose. She breathes in deeply, memorizing the scent. She knows it so well, she can practically dream about it.

"I'm sorry about my mom." She whispers against the cotton fabric. She doesn't know when she started crying. It just sort of happened. One second she was sniffing his shirt and the next she was nuzzling the wet patches on his chest. She feels one of his hands rest comfortingly on the back of her head, bringing her closer.

"Hey, it's cool. I'm kinda used to it anyway." He laughs softly. She feels his lips brushing next to her ear. The arm around her waist tightens and tugs her to the bed. A strange desperate feeling runs through her veins at the brief loss of contact. Once they both lay comfortably on the bed, she moves closer to him, resting her cheek against his shoulder. His arm immediately wraps around her small frame again.

Her eyes are still blurry from the unshed tears that are building up. She really doesn't know why she's still crying. It feels not right. Obviously, it isn't right for her to be crying. But something is off. The anger she held towards her mother isn't what's causing the oncoming tears. Her stomach flops uneasily. Her hands clench on his t-shirt again anxiously.

"Lee, what's wrong?" Sora's voice breaks the silence. She sniffles.

"I-I don't know. I just feel… _sad_." Naminé admits in a small voice.

"Did I do something wrong?" He asks, his voice sounding so vulnerable, that a wave of guilt hits the blonde so hard she nearly lets out a whimper.

"No, no, no, you didn't. You're perfect." The blonde says. The urgency in her voice surprises her. Everything feels oddly strange and urgent today, the blonde thinks, ignoring the worry in his blue eyes.

_I mean, we were totally fine earlier. Well, before the walk home._

Perhaps that's what it was. What's making her so upset. The blonde sighs against his neck, before sitting up, untangling her hands from his shirt. Hastily, she reaches up with her hands and wipes her eyes.

"I think I know how to make myself feel better." The blonde says thickly. A small smile tugs at her lips as she stares down at his concerned expression. Her fingers reach out, tracing the outline of lips. Fingertips brushes against cold, blushing skin. Naminé stand up abruptly, throwing the duvet over the brunet. "Sit tight, and warm up. I'll be back."

"Where are you going?" Sora calls out, but she ignores him. The girl walks over to her closet, pauses, before digging in to it. She carelessly tosses her clothes, frustrated, until she finds what she's looking for tucked neatly in a fancy shopping bag. Carefully, she pulls out the fabric, hiding it away from the boy who's curiously peering at her from beneath the covers. "Lee! Come on!"

"Patience is a virtue." Naminé says brightly, momentarily shocking herself. A few minutes ago she was a sobbing mess, and now? Before Sora can respond, the girl darts towards the bathroom, hurriedly shuffling in and locking the door.

She lets out a huff, bravely holding the scantily piece of swimwear in front of her. It's yellow with white polka dots. Instantly, an image of that commercial flashes through the blonde's mind.

_She wore an itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot biki- Okay, how was this going to make me feel better again?_

She sucks in a deep breath, before ripping off the tags. She sets the bikini on the sink's edge, then goes on to remove her clothing. A chill hits her as she starts to slip on the swimwear. It takes her a few seconds before she summons up enough courage to glance in the mirror. She winces, fixing her hair – or rather mussing it up. Perhaps the hair would distract him from the unattractive lack of sex appeal radiating off of her.

Naminé hesitates when her hand grips the doorknob. She counts to three (Mississippi's mind you), before she pulled it open.

"N-Naminé?" Sora sputters out, snapping up. Her face turns crimson in an instant at the bulging of her boyfriend's eyes.

"Did you want to see it, or didn't you?" Naminé snaps, self-consciously crossing her arms over her chest. He shakes his head rapidly, clearing his throat.

"Y-yeah." He stammers in a shaky voice. His eyes trail from her red face, down, pausing in certain areas, before trailing back up to meet her gaze. His uncomfortable expression melts away, and he holds out his arms for her again. "Come here."

She hesitates, before smiling and walking slowly towards the bed. She nestles into his arms perfectly, like two jigsaw puzzle pieces. His arms are cold, reminding her of an overcast day at the beach. It's always her favorite time to go to the beach.

"I thought you would've been warm already." She laughs, cuddling closer to him. His chilly fingertips, dance around the small of her back teasingly. Her breath hitches and the laugh dies down. Suddenly the room has gotten extremely hot, despite Sora's cold hands. She lifts her head, to lean closer to him. She's near enough to kiss him, but she stops short, brushing her nose against his.

Sora's eyes are shining. The loving expression etched on his face makes her ache happily. She is happy, despite the fact that she was in tears a few minutes ago. She loves him. She needs him. And the fact that everything she feels is reciprocated, makes her feel weightless. As if she can float up and never look down. They need each other. It's all they have. Nobody wanted them together, and yet here they are, defying the odds.

She touches her forehead to his.

"I _cherish_ you, Sora." She whispers against his lips. "So much."

Her hand moves from its tightened position on his collar, towards his cheek. Her fingertips glide against the side of his tanned face reverently. Because that's what she's doing. She almost feels like she's _honoring_ him. He's hers. She's his. And she worships that idea.

"I know what that means." He breathes.

Her eyes close dotingly at his joke. The aching feeling comes again. The aching that just feels so _good_. Like her heart is being filled up to its brink and it's just waiting to explode.

"Your face is painted into my memory forever." She whispers in a voice filled with so emotion, she's as good as screaming it at the top of her lungs.

"Getting a bit dramatic there aren't you Lee?" Sora's voice is teasing.

"Sora, _please_."

And he kisses her. It's passionate, and biting, and gentle at the same time. His lips part and move around hers as if he were discovering a lost city. Naminé runs her hand through his jagged hair. Her teeth scrape against his lips, prompting him to open his mouth. Tongues dance against each other.

A blank page forms in her mind as line after line is drawn. First the shape of his face. The soft cheeks, prominent jaw, the straight nose. She sees it next – the almond shaped eyes, slowly being painted in with the richest of blues. His spiky hair comes next, line intertwining with line as the brown comes in blotches.

His face is a perfectly painted picture, that when she opens her eyes and pulls away, it's as if he were really there in her mind after all.

"I love you, _Naminé_."

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The next morning, Sora is not there. It upsets Naminé so much that she continues to ignore her mother and leaves without eating the prepared breakfast laid out on the table for her.

She tightens the strap of her bag, fuming. She can't believe he left. What happened to walking her to school every morning? She huffs, stomping down towards the sidewalk. She doesn't get very far, before she feels a light tap on her shoulder.

She whirls around immediately, expecting to find her boyfriend with that stupid expression and ridiculous joke ready. However, she is met with a complete stranger. He's tall – taller than Sora by a few inches, with golden blond hair that sweeps to the side. For a split second, she's reminded of ice cream.

The boy smiles at her, a half smile with no teeth. His pale skin contrasts with his icy blue eyes. Blue eyes…

"Hi there, uh, I was, um, wondering if you would be able to help me?" He asks nervously. He rubs his neck anxiously. "I'm Roxas, by the way."

Naminé watches him carefully. It's not like everyday a complete stranger comes up to her. In fact, she's pretty sure she hasn't had a conversation with anyone in her immediate age group, besides Sora.

She almost forgets how to act.

"Oh, sure." She mutters politely. His expression visibly brightens.

"I just moved in a couple days ago and I was, uh, wondering if you'd show me where the high school is located?" He asks in a rush. "Radiant Gardens High, I mean."

An eerie chill runs down her spine as she watches the boy. It's almost as if he planned this. But she disregards the feeling, and offers the boy a smile.

"Yeah, okay, I attend that school as well." She responds. "My name is Naminé." She adds, after some thought. Might as well, she thinks, he's going to find out anyway. She turns, gesturing him to follow her. But Roxas hesitates, watching her with a doubtful expression. "Something wrong?"

Roxas sighs. "Okay, I lied; I know where the school is." He admits, dejectedly.

"Then why-"

"I just needed a reason to talk to you." He says hurriedly. "I started school Monday, and when I saw you for the first time, something just sort of snapped. And I wanted to know you – I mean I still do. The fact that everybody seems to avoid you doesn't even bother me. I don't care. You seem so lonely, but you're so, like, beautiful." At this, he slaps his forehead in frustration. "I just want you…to know me too."

He moves his hand away. His face is a deep crimson as he looks at her. "So, will you, um, I mean do you want to hang out some time?"

Naminé gapes, before shaking her head. Her eyes narrow immediately in distaste.

"I have a boyfriend." She says sharply.

Roxas sobers up instantly. His eyebrows furrow, and his lips pull down into a frown. "If you're not interested, you can just say no. You don't need to be mean."

"What are you talking about?"

"You don't have a boyfriend."

"Yes, I do." She snaps. She glares at the boy, who is now giving her an incredulous look. Before he can say anything else, she turns abruptly and continues her trek to school, ignoring him as he calls after her. When she rounds the corner, the anger has subsided a little. Was that guy stupid or something? If he had been there for a week already, did he not see her attached to Sora at every possible moment?

She nearly turns back around to question the boy some more, but a voice stops her in her tracks.

"So, you gonna hang out with him?" Sora questions quietly. She swiftly turns back and sees him with a deep pout on his face. His arms are crossed over his chest.

"Were you eavesdropping the whole time?" Naminé hisses. Sora's pout melts away into a bright expression. His eyes shine, as he tugs one of her hands and brings her in his arms. She shivers, when she settles into the hug.

"Well, when you see your girlfriend with a mildly attractive guy, it does call for drastic measures doesn't it?"

"And those measures being?"

"Jealousy." Sora whispers, nuzzling into her hair. The couple stays wrapped in their embrace for a few seconds, before the blonde breaks the silent spell.

"You left this morning? Why did you leave me?" She whispers against his neck. Naminé hears Sora sigh softly, his cold arms tightening around her body.

"I'm sorry. I had to go." He whispers back.

"Don't leave me again."

"I'll stay here with you. Don't worry."

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Roxas sighs, as he watches the blonde set her brown lunch bag on the table. She pulls out a sandwich, and like before, completely disregards it as she takes out her sketchbook. The boy idly wonders if the girl ever eats – she so thin. It almost looks unhealthy.

"Hey, Roxas." Kairi's voice brings the blond away from his staring. The redhead herself, along with another girl named Olette and a boy called Hayner joined him.

"Hi." He mumbles, his eyes glancing back towards the blonde girl.

"Roxas!" A loud squeal makes him cringe instantly. He hasn't been here for more than five days, and there's already a girl chasing after him. A sandy haired girl joins the table, her green eyes fixed on Roxas.

"Hello, Selphie." Kairi greets, not so nicely. For some reason, he knows that Kairi can't stand this girl. For what reason? He has no idea. He disregards Selphie, returning back to his staring. Naminé's lips are fluttering as if she's talking. If only he had the courage to walk up to her and sit beside her. He's tempted. But then –

"Oh, I wouldn't bother with her Roxas." Selphie's whiny voice breaks his concentrated stare. "She's crazy, always talking to herself. You should've seen yesterday, I caught her laughing by herself. Completely insane right?"

Kairi suddenly stands up, her face expressionless. "Shut up!"

Selphie glares at Kairi. "What? He has a _right_ to know."

The redhead shakes her head, something close to pain flashing through her eyes. Upon closer observation, Roxas notices the exhaustion that seems to overcome the redhead. It's almost similar to that of Naminé. Kairi shakes her head, before picking up her bag and storming away from the group.

"What did I do?" Selphie questions to no one in particular. Olette glares at the girl, before turning her attention to Roxas. A chill runs throughout his body at the sudden somber mood of the table.

"Sorry about that. Selphie doesn't have a filter at all." She explains, and then looks away. "And Kairi…well, she's really sad because she and Naminé used to be best friends."

"What happened?" Roxas questions, but for some reason, he isn't exactly sure he wants to find out the truth.

Olette looks uncomfortable and on the verge of tears, so Hayner steps in.

"Sora was Kairi's best friend, along with Naminé." He says in a gruff voice. "He died about a year ago, drowned when he went surfing.

There's a long pregnant pause before –

"Kairi, she's _dealing_… but Naminé… she still thinks he's alive."

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"_We're limitless, Lee." _

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**I hope you guys ****aren't confused? Lol. Thanks for reading. The song used in the beginning was "Cosmic Love" by Florence + The Machine. **

**Reviews are loved.**


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